The Hollywood adaptation of the Stieg Larsson bestseller might not have been needed considering a Swedish-language film in 2009, but David Fincher’s efficient direction is more than welcome.

It’s no fun being a middle child. You lack the lustre of everything being new that comes with the first, and the moment anyone knows there’s another coming after you, everyone just wants to move on to the next thing. The Girl Who Played with Fire plays like the poor, forgotten middle child in the string of adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s mega-bestselling thriller trilogy: a little bland, and with a tendency to act out…

Though it disguises itself quite well as a conventional mystery, there’s a great deal more going on in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo than might appear on the surface. Stieg Larsson’s phenomenally popular trilogy has been adapted into a trio of films, all of which were released in Europe last year. This, the first of the series, is opening in the U.S. this weekend. While Larsson packs his story with all the standard…